The select board unanimously voted Wednesday to place a bylaw on the annual town meeting warrant after raising concerns about the number of large events and the lack of regulatory oversight.
The West Tisbury select board voted 2-1 last week to allow the annual event, but said the festival could have no more than 300 attendees – less than half of what the festival had hoped for.
Select board members at their meeting Thursday talked about creating rules about event capacity, frequency of events and the potential need for some events to have special permits.
The new regulations cement the process for homeowners to be able to make money by renting out their properties while the town attempts to deter commercial interests from hollowing out the year-round housing stock.
The board approved a 5 per cent residential exemption at its meeting Wednesday, allowing some of the property tax burden to shift onto owners of second homes and rental properties.
West Tisbury year-round and seasonal residents continued voicing their opinions about a proposed residential tax exemption at a select board meeting Wednesday in anticipation of a decision later this fall.
West Tisbury is starting to process homeowners for a residential tax exemption as the select board ponders if it will enact the controversial tax shift.
The select board sought to ditch portions of the fence to solve the burden of maintenance costs, but the idea faced pushback from the town’s historic district commission.
